Arctic Circle Cruise Days 1-3: The Constellation and Alesund

The Constellation

Waiting to board the ship

Our room

Mark checking out the welcome packet!

Outdoor pools

Indoor pool

We checked into our ship, the Celebrity Constellation on Monday afternoon, June 21st. We dropped off our belongings in our stateroom and checked out all of the arrival information that was waiting for us. Then we headed up to the top deck to wave "au revoir" to Amsterdam as we sailed out of the port! Once we headed out to sea, we went on a tour of the boat! This being my first ocean-liner cruise, I was excited to see everything that it had to offer. Here are some fun facts about our ship!

The Constellation amenities include a gym and spa, indoor and outdoor pools and jacuzzis, a theater, cinema, casino and video arcade. Dining options include San Marco, the formal dining room; Seaside Cafe and Grill, the casual dining spot, and the Tuscan Grille, an excellent Italian restaurant. The ship also boasts an ice-topped Martini Bar, and a gelateria!

Mark's Aunt Sue also joined us on the cruise, and we spent the first night with his family enjoying a casual dinner and catching up, as well as unpacking to get our suitcases out of the way!

Formal night dinner

Day 2 was spent at sea, so we just relaxed and wandered around more of the ship, checking out what it had to offer, and of course, the food! Cruises are well-known for their large quantity of food and this ship was no exception! The food was excellent the whole way through from the appetizers to the desserts and everything in between! It was always so hard to choose, as there were usually multiple entrees that appeared enticing. This evening we got dressed up for formal night in the San Marco restaurant. After dinner, we headed up to Reflections lounge for some entertainment, courtesy of the High C's, the ship's A Capella group!

Alesund's picturesque harbor

Norway's famous trolls!

Statue in honor of the fishermen

Views over Alesund from the top of Sugarlump Mountain

We woke up on Day 3 in Alesund, a fishing town built upon three islands and connected by bridges. Unfortunately, Mark got sick this day and had to stay on the boat. (We had the unfortunate experience of having the norovirus take hold of the ship. Hundreds of passengers got sick, including Mark and I. It is a somewhat common occurrence on cruise ships due to the sharing of close quarters...no fun!) Mark's parents and I headed out (leaving Sicky on the ship!) in the morning to do a walking tour around Alesund. It has a beautiful old town area, famous for its Art Nouveau architecture. In the afternoon, Mark's dad Jeff and I did a hike excursion up Sugarlump Mountain. It was a good hike and offered beautiful views of Alesund from the top. Then it was time to head back to the ship and set sail for the next port!